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St Cyr's Church and the Stroudwater Navigation
Route facts
Waterways:
Stroudwater Navigation »
Distance: 1.86 miles / 3 km
Duration: 1 hour
Difficulty: Easy
Starts at: Blunder Lock
Ends at: St Cyr's Church
Just one minute off the M5, this short walk takes in the pleasures of the Stroudwater Navigation - derelict for many years, but now under restoration - and the beautiful canalside St Cyr's Church.
The Stroudwater Navigation forms part of the Cotswold Canals, the great through-route that once linked the rivers Thames and Severn and is now the focus of a multi-million pound restoration campaign.Getting thereLeave the M5 at junction 13, and take the A419 east towards Stroud. The walk starts just by the first roundabout, where there is a Little Chef in case you need refreshment. You can either continue over the roundabout and park in the layby immediately on the right; or turn right at the roundabout, then left immediately, and park in the access to the lock.Your walk begins at Blunder Lock. Restored by the Cotswold Canals Trust, this lock is the starting point for regular boat trips at summer weekends. But if you're visiting at any other time, you can still enjoy this beautiful canal by foot.The walkWalk east along the canal, up past the next restored lock (Newtown Lock). The towpath changes sides at the next bridge.Continue walking until you meet a railway embankment, carrying the main Gloucester to Bristol line. A new tunnel will be built under here as part of the restoration work. A short distance further on, you will come to the beautiful setting of St Cyr's Church - one of the most romantic waterside spots in Britain. (St Cyr was Cyricus, a fourth-century Greek child who was martyred by the governor of Antioch for defending his Christian mother.) Turn back and return the way you came.
Getting there
Parking: You can park in the layby by on the A419 by Blunder Lock, or in the short drive leading down to the lock.
